India news: 'Cockroach' leaders sent to judicial custody amid protest crackdown
Three of India's Cockroach movement leaders will spend five days in jail over charges of trespassing into what was until recently a designated protest site. In other news, Marco Rubio is set to visit India. DW has more.
India news: Cockroach leaders jailed during protest crackdown
Three leaders of India's Cockroach movement, Co-Conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, as well as organizer Ajinkya Shinde, have been formally charged with multiple violations in the nation's capital. The trio was detained on Tuesday after allegedly breaching police barricades to enter Jantar Mantar grounds, a site previously designated for protests. Police have charged them with trespassing, violating prohibitory orders, breaching a peace bond, and obstructing a public servant from carrying out their duties.
The charges come amid protests against India's election chief Gyanesh Kumar over the mass deletion of voter names from electoral rolls. Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka have been sent to five days of judicial custody, while organizer Ajinkya Shinde was released. Their alleged offense is said to be raising the Tricolor at Jantar Mantar, while police claim they received a call urging others to attend the protest. The accused's attorney disputes the charges, alleging the police made false claims in court.
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